-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Early Sunday , a massive fire at the Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil killed more than 200 people . Nightclub infernos have claimed hundreds of lives over the years . Here are some of the worst in recent memory :

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August 2012

A fire that swept through a popular nightclub on the Thai island of Phuket killed four people early August 17 .

December 2009

Fireworks triggered a fire and panic on December 5 , 2009 , at a nightclub in Perm , Russia , killing 156 people . The commercial director of the facility , who was accused of ignoring safety measures , fled Russia to Spain , where he was arrested in September of the following year .

3 arrested in deadly Brazil nightclub fire

January 2009

Fireworks shot off at a birthday party at a Latin-style bar and restaurant in Changle City in China 's Fujian province sparked a fire that claimed 15 lives on January 31 , 2009 .

January 2009

A fire at Bangkok 's upscale Santika nightclub broke out while about 1,000 revelers were ringing in the new year . Sixty-four people died in the fire , which led to the arrest of the nightclub 's owner .

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April 2008

Fourteen concertgoers died in a fire sparked by fireworks that were part of a show at a nightclub in Quito , Ecuador , on April 19 , 2008 .

December 2004

A December 30 , 2004 , deadly nightclub fire killed 194 people in Argentina 's capital , Buenos Aires . Nearly five years later , the country 's Court of Justice sentenced the club owner to 20 years in prison .

February 2003

In perhaps the most widely known nightclub tragedy over the past decade , 100 people died in a fire sparked by pyrotechnics used by the heavy metal band Great White at a nightclub in West Warwick , Rhode Island , on February 21 , 2003 .

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December 2002

The cause of the December 1 , 2002 fire that killed 47 people in Caracas , Venezuela , never became clear -- firefighters said it could have started in the kitchen , or an electrical short circuit . Many of the victims died of smoke inhalation inside the club .

July 2002

A celebration marking the two-month anniversary of the Utopia club in Lima , Peru , ended in the deaths of 28 people on July 20 , 2002 . Authorities said the Utopia club had no license to operate , no sprinklers and poorly marked exits .

December 2000

A blaze broke out at a dance hall on Christmas Day in the central city of Luoyang , China , killing 309 people . Most of the victims were revelers suffocated by smoke .

Be ready for emergency at a crowded public gathering

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A massive fire at the Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil killed more than 200 people on Sunday

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Nightclub infernos have claimed hundreds of lives over the years

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In 2009 fireworks triggered a fire and panic at a nightclub in Perm , Russia , killing 156 people